California Baptist University 2022

Van Life, Road Life

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Every day Anabella Gurrola passes people on campus, each person with their own life on and off campus. The faces she sees every day are much more than a California Baptist University student, including herself. Anabella is a junior business administration major with a passion for van life. “During the end of quarantine last year my dad began working on converting vans,” Gurrola says. Gurrola says her favorite part about converting vans from ordinary cars to something people can live in is “seeing the before and after of each one and how different each one can be. Also, I love seeing how happy the customers are.” While her brother and her dad do most of the heavy lifting in converting each van, Anabella decorates the vans and helps with social media. “My dad is a contractor and has always worked on homes. We, as a family, love the van lifestyle and have always enjoyed having a day camper when we’re surfing and going to the mountains. So my dad transitioned into just focusing on converting vans, which is more of what fits us as a family,” Gurrola says. “The converting process is all dedicated to my dad and brother, “she adds. “Yet in running our social media and marketing page, it can get a little busy with balancing work and balancing school, but it’s all fun in the end.” Even though this is all business, Gurrola does want to live in a van herself. “I want to travel across the United States one day on a big road trip in one of our vans and just live in it one for a year.”

WORDS Faith Brazil

PHOTO Courtesy of Anabella Gurrola

DESIGN Kassidy Blount